Folding table



F. H. HATFIELD FOLDING TABLE July l0, 1934.

Filed May 6, 1933 5 Sheets-Sheet l FIG. j

HG. Z

INVENTOR WH'NESS July 10, 1934. F. H. HATFIELD 1,965,700

FOLDING TABLE Filed May 6, 1935 s sheets-sheet 2 I FIG. 3

INVENTOR AAA/www WITNESS Fuly E0, 1934.

F. HATFIELD FOLDING TABLE Filed May 6, 1933 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 fr!" c/4 Ym 3 1 O 4l. G., w W 6 6. n w a w y 9 /a 2 5. n /M m f F .4f n 5/wmm\\\\\\\\\ lNVENTOR Patented July 10, 1934 PATEN'I' OFFICE FOLDINGTABLEY Floyd H. Hatfield, Rawlins, Wyo.

Application May 6, 19

2 Claims.

These improvements are on my former application, Serial No. 546,543series of 1925, applied for June 24, 1931, now Patent No. 1,905,282 ofApril 25, 1933.

Q This invention relates to a folding table adaptable for variouspurposes and which will be compact when folded to permit convenientstoring in a small space and Will be easy to carry from one place Vtoanother and has for the primary object,

l the provision of a collapsible top and folding legs so arranged thatthe legs will automatically assume supporting position when the top isextended and will fold within the top when the latter is collapsed,thereby providing a table rel quiring only minimum effort on the part ofa person to extend for use or to collapse for storage.

Another object of this invention is the pro- Vision of operating meansfor the legs, and the provision of operating means for locking the legsin extended position, effected by the movements of the .top for foldingor extending the legs in accordance with the collapsing and extending ofthe top and which will effectively brace and hold the legs in supportingposition against accidental folding when the table is in use.

A further object of this invention is the provision of a folding tableof the above stated character which will be simple, durable and efcientand which may be manufactured and sold at a 3o comparatively low cost.

With these and other objects in view, this in- Vention consists incertain novel features of construction, combination and arrang-ement ofparts to be hereinafter more fully described and claimed.

For a complete understanding of my invention, reference is had to thefollowing description and accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is abottom plan View illustrating the operating means between the table topand the legs, and illustrating the operating means between the extendingof the legs and the locking device for the legs in extended position.

Figure 2 is a fragmentary side sectional View taken on the line :cofFigure 1.

Figure 3 is a fragmentary bottom plan View illustrating the operatingmeans between table top and the legs in folded position, andillustrating the operating means between the folding of the legs and theunlocking device.

Figure 4 is an isometric view of a pivot table (11) and a stop (29).

Figure 5 is a typical half section of leg (3), showing how the round (4)is attached to the .55 leg, and also how the brace (10) is attached in-33, Serial No. 669,7191A (Cl. I5- 116) side the leg, and illustratingthe recessed portion of the leg which partially encases the brace (l0)when the leg is in folded position.

Figure 6 is an isometric view of the angle channel guide (5).

Figure 7 is an isometric View of an anchor post (20).

Figure 8 is an isometric VView of an anchor post (21).

Figure 9 is an isometric View of a leg brace (l0) with suitable head(32).

Figure 10 is an isometric View of a quarter round sliding mechanism (7)showing an anchor post (24), a slotted guide (25), and a lever engager(27). I

Figure 11 is an isometric view of a 4quarter round sliding mechanism (6)showing an .anchor post (24), a slotted guide (26), and a lever engager(28).

Figure 12 is an isometric View of a leg brace guide track (8) showingthe lock lever slots (30) and a leg brace head stop (3l).

Figure 13 is anisometric view of a round .(4) showing how a dowel post(9) is arranged.

Referring in detail to the drawings, the numeral 22 indicates the topsof the two sections of the table being suitably secured to the side andend members 1 and 23 respectively. The inner side members are connectedby hinges 17 on which the two sections may be swungto and from eachother for the purpose of collapsing or extending the table top. Theouter side members are equipped with hand grips 2 for carrying purposes,and all four side members are circularly recessed near the inside endsto receive the small ends of the round 4.

When the table is extended, the outer ysurfaces of the inner side pieces1 Vcome into an abutment engagement and provide a continuous supportingsurface for the table. When .collapsed, the bottom surfaces of the endmembers 23 come into abutting 4engagement with the bottom surfaces ofopposite .end members 23, and the bottom surfaces of the outer .sidemembers l come into abutting engagement, and the bottom surfaces of theinner side members l come into abutting engagement, providing a compactunit.

To the inside surface of the end members 23 and the top 22 in thelocation illustrated in Figure 1 are attached suitably the angle channelguides 5. The rounds 4 with legs 3 attached as shown in Figure 5 areplaced in parallel position With the end members 23, with the small endsof the rounds 4 set into the rounded recesses provided for them near theends of the side members 1. The legs 3 and the dowel posts 9 are locatedon and in the round 4 as indicated in Figure 5 and Figure 13, the legsand the doWel posts 9 in a vertical position or right angles to the top22, in the locations indicated on the rounds 4 in Figure 1 When the legsare extended.

The pins of the quarter round sliding mechanisms 6 and 7 are engaged inchannels of the angle channel guide 5 in such a manner that the doWelpost 9 engages With the slotted guides 26 and 25, with respect to` thepositions as shown in Figure 1, and with the lever stops 28 and 27nearest the inner surface of the top 22 and the anchor posts 24 near theends of quarter round mechanisms 6 and 7 most adjacent to the inner sidemembers 1. Y

To the inner surface of the top 22 are suitably attached with thebracket 15 and other means the leg brace guide tracks 8 parallel withVthe side members 1 and located as shown in Figure 1 with the slots 3Gmost adjacent to the end members 23. The leg brace guide tracks 8slidaoly receive the heads 32 of the leg braces 10. To the inner surfaceof the top 22 and located as shown in Figure 1 are suitablyT attachedthe pivot tables ll with the stops 29 located in the general directionof the tables corners.

On the pivot tables poles 11 are placed the lever arms 12 and in turn tothe lever arms l2 are freely attached for swivel action the locking arms13 and 14 with respect to their respective positions as shown in Figure1 with their shortest sides most adjacent to the end members 23. Thelocking arms 13 and 14 are inserted in the guide brackets 16 suitablyattached.l to top 22 which insure the locking arms 13 and 14 venteringthe slots 36 in the leg brace guide tracks 8.

To the inner surfaces of the inner side members l are suitably attachedthe anchor posts 20 and 21 with regard to their positions as shown inFigure 1. Between these anchor posts 20 and 21 and the anchor posts 274are freelyattached the arms 19 and 18 with regard to their positions asshown in Figure 1.

When it is desired to place the table in use, the two sections of thetable are swung apart in the act of extending the table, from acollapsed manner as indicated in Figure 3, the anchor posts 20 and 21are caused to pull on Vthe arms 19 and 18, by reason of their proximityto the seat of the whole action. The pull on the arms 19 and 18 is inturn transmitted to the quarter round sliding mechanisms 6 and 7 throughthe anchor posts 24. Ilhis pull in the direction of the inner sideniembers 1 causes the quarter round sliding mechanisms 6 and 7 to slidein the angle channel guide 5 causing the slotted guides 26 and 25 toforce the dowel pin 9 to ride'in the direction of the slots 26 and 25.The dowel pins 9 in riding in the slotted guides 26 and 25 rise `from aposition parallel to the tops 22 to a position at right angles to thetop 22. As the action of the dowel pin 9 and the leg 3 arevconeurrent inaction on the round 4, the leg 3 comes to a right angle position to thetop 22 or that of being extended. `As the leg 3 rises the brace 10 movesslidably by means As the quarter round sliding mechanisms 6 and 7 movein the general direction of the inner side members the lever engagers 28and 27 engage with the free end of the lever arms 12 which pivot on thepivot pole of pivot table 1l, causing the locking arms 14 and 13 to bethrust by reason of a swivel action through the guides 16 and into theslots 30 of the leg brace guide tracks 8, locking the head 32 of the legbrace 10 between the stops 31 and the ends of the said locking levers 14and 13.

The collapsing of the table is exact reverse process with legs 3assuming the position as shown vin Figure 3, partially encasing the legbraces 10 Vwhich have in the reverse action been freed by the locking'arms 14 and 13, allowing the heads 32 to slide towards the opening endof leg brace guide track 8. Y

` As the quarter round sliding mechanisms 6 and 7 return in the generaldirection of the outmost side members 1 the free ends of lever armsbecome disengaged With the receding lever engagers 28 and 27. The freeends of lever Aarms 12 are carried by the quarter round slidingmechanism to a stopped position against the stop 29, preventing thelever arm 12 from turning too far so as not to fail engagement with thelever engagers 28 and l2'?. As the lever arms 12 move to this stoppedposition against stop 29, they activate the locking arms 14 and 13 toWithdraw from the slots 30 and to free the heads 32 of the leg brace 10.

While I have shown and described the preferred embodiment of myinvention, it will be understood that minor changes in construction,combination and arrangement of parts may be made Without departing fromthe spirit and Vscope of my invention, as claimed.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is:

' l. A folding table comprising a folding sectional top, legs pivoted tothe sections of said top, leg brace arms attached to legs, headsoffbrace arms slidable in guides attached to sections of top, port holesin said brace arm guides, locking levers pivoted to sections of top, sosituated as to become engaged with lever engager slots in `quarter roundsliding mechanism, thus causing locking levers to enter port holes ofleg brace arm guides or to be pulled from port holes of leg brace armguides, thereby, automatically locking or unlocking said leg brace armsby folding or unfolding sectional top.

2. A folding table comprising a sectional top, said sections havingfolding relation, legs attached to rounds with dowel ports pivoted tothe sections of top, quarter round sliding mechanism seating over roundsand sliding in angle channel guides attached to sections of top, saiddowel ports extending through slotted guides in quarter round slidingmechanism, said quarter round sliding mechanism attached by arms toopposite sections of top by means of arm posts, thereby causing the legsto move into folding position when sections of the top are folded and tomove the legs into supporting position when the sections of the top areunfolded.

